Arnold Schwarzenegger to Be Inducted Into WWE® Hall of Fame
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WWE announced today that pop-culture icon Arnold Schwarzenegger will be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA as part of WrestleMania® Week.
“We are honored to induct Arnold Schwarzenegger into the WWE Hall of Fame”
Former Governor of California from 2003-2011 and the star of such blockbuster films as Predator, True Lies, Kindergarten Cop and the wildly successful Terminator franchise, Schwarzenegger is a longtime WWE fan dating back to the 1970s, appearing at many Monday Night Raw® and SmackDown® events through the years. A seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, he is the founder of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival, the world’s largest annual sports weekend, which hosts 200,000 attendees and more than 18,000 of the world's top athletes. He also appeared at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony at Madison Square Garden, inducting his friend Bruno Sammartino. Most recently, Schwarzenegger guest starred on the March 24, 2014 episode of Monday Night Raw opposite WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan® and WWE Superstar The Miz®. Schwarzenegger's decades-long health and fitness crusade is a perfect fit with WWE.
“We are honored to induct Arnold Schwarzenegger into the WWE Hall of Fame,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Paul “Triple H” Levesque. “His larger-than-life on- and off-screen presence translated perfectly into the world of WWE, resulting in many memorable moments.”
Tickets for the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at SAP Center are currently available through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.
WrestleMania 31 takes place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 7pm ET live on WWE Network and pay-per-view.
About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 35 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all 12 live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 170 countries. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munich and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to entering into, maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming and our new network distribution agreements; risks relating to the launch and maintenance of our new network; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to regulatory matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive and fragmented nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to new businesses and strategic investments; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to general economic conditions and our exposure to bad debt risk; risks relating to litigation; risks relating to market expectations for our financial performance; risks relating to our revolving credit facility specifically and capital markets more generally; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
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Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Schwarzenegger to Be Inducted into Celebrity Wing of WWE Hall of Fame
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"Selma," "Still Alice" Win "Best Movie" Awards from Women Film Critics Circle
Editor's Note: I forgot to post these a few weeks ago:
The Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) is an association of women film critics, who are involved in print, radio, online and TV broadcast media. Founded in 2004, this group is the first women critics’ organization in the United States.
The 2014 Women Film Critics Circle Award winners were announced December 13, 2014.
Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2014:
BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN
Still Alice
BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Selma: Ava Duvernay
BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER [Screenwriting Award]
Ida: Rebecca Lenkiewicz [Co-screenwriter]
BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore: Still Alice
BEST ACTOR
Eddie Redmayne: The Theory Of Everything
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS
Mira Grosin: We Are The Best
BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS
Jenny Slate: Obvious Child
BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Two Days, One Night
BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Horrible Bosses 2
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Love Is Strange
WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE
Dumb And Dumber To
BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Citizenfour
BEST SCREEN COUPLE
The Skeleton Twins
BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN
Girlhood
BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
TIE: Life Itself, The Skeleton Twins
BEST ANIMATED FEMALE
Winnie: Boxtrolls
BEST FAMILY FILM
Big Hero 6
WOMEN'S WORK/BEST ENSEMBLE
The Homesman
*SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS*
COURAGE IN FILMMAKING:
LAURA POITRAS: For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light in Citizenfour, and driven into exile in Germany for doing so.
*ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: A film that most passionately opposes violence against women:
Frontera
Private Violence
*JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America:
Anita: Speaking Truth To Power
*KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity:
Belle
ACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARD: Rosario Dawson
For her work with The Lower East Side Girls Club; the environmental group Global Cool; the ONE Campaign; Oxfam; Amnesty International; Voto Latino; V-Day, a global non-profit movement that raises funds for women's anti-violence groups; RESPECT! Campaign, a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence; and countless other organizations.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Oprah Winfrey
COURAGE IN ACTING: [Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on screen]:
Julianne Moore: Still Alice
BEST FEMALE ACTION STAR:
Oprah Winfrey: Selma
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD: [Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored]:
Felicity Jones: The Theory Of Everything
WOMAN'S RIGHT TO MALES ROLES IN MOVIES:
Jessica Chastain: Interstellar
MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD:
*TIE
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Nymphomaniac
Uma Thurman: Nymphomaniac
JUST KIDDING AWARDS
*Best Female Images: Nymphomaniac
*Forty-Plus Female Empowerment Award: For the producers who give women over forty meaningful roles in movies on a regular basis, in an industry where forty is the new ninety-five - and as other than maniacs and witches.
*Merry Macho Award: Seth Rogen and James Franco: For advancing the cause of world peace with their presidential assassination comedy, The Interview. And who knows, while possibly mulling the Interview II sequel comedy, the assassination of US President Obama. And for further extending Hollywood as a wing of the US military and CIA, following leaked email revelations that the US State Department advocated Sony to use the film to help bring down the DPRK government.
BEST LINE IN A MOVIE:
Big Hero 6: 'Stop Whining. Woman Up!'
About the Special Mention Awards:
**ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: Adrienne Shelly was a promising actress and filmmaker who was brutally strangled in her apartment in 2006 at the age of forty by a construction worker in the building, after she complained about noise. Her killer tried to cover up his crime by hanging her from a shower rack in her bathroom, to make it look like a suicide. He later confessed that he was having a “bad day.” Shelly, who left behind a baby daughter, had just completed her film, Waitress, which she also starred in, and which was honored at Sundance after her death.
**JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: The daughter of a laundress and a musician, Baker overcame being born black, female and poor, and marriage at age fifteen, to become an internationally acclaimed legendary performer, starring in the films Princess Tam Tam, Moulin Rouge and Zou Zou. She also survived the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois as a child, and later expatriated to France to escape US racism. After participating heroically in the underground French Resistance during WWII, Baker returned to the US where she was a crusader for racial equality. Her activism led to attacks against her by reporter Walter Winchell who denounced her as a communist, leading her to wage a battle against him. Baker was instrumental in ending segregation in many theaters and clubs, where she refused to perform unless integration was implemented.
**KAREN MORLEY AWARD: Karen Morley was a promising Hollywood star in the 1930s, in such films as Mata Hari and Our Daily Bread. She was driven out of Hollywood for her leftist political convictions by the Blacklist and for refusing to testify against other actors, while Robert Taylor and Sterling Hayden were informants against her. And also for daring to have a child and become a mother, unacceptable for female stars in those days. Morley maintained her militant political activism for the rest of her life, running for Lieutenant Governor on the American Labor Party ticket in 1954. She passed away in 2003, unrepentant to the end, at the age of 93.
--------------------------
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Happy Birthday, Miss Anna
Granny and Uncle Leroy wish Miss Anna a Happy Birthday... and many, many, many more!
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Common and John Legend to Perform "Glory" at 87th Oscars
Oscar® Nominees Common And John Legend To Perform Together At The Oscars®
Musical artists Common and John Legend will perform their Oscar®-nominated song “Glory” at the 87th Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.
“Common and John Legend are artists who have always lifted our spirits and made us think,” said Zadan and Meron. “The Oscar stage is that much more profound because of their presence and we welcome them.”
“Glory,” written by John Stephens (a.k.a. John Legend) and Lonnie Lynn (a.k.a. Common) for the film “Selma,” is nominated for Original Song. The four other nominated songs are “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie,” “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights,” “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell...I’ll Be Me” and “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again.”
Common won a Grammy® in 2002 for Best R&B Song for “Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop),” and in 2007 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Southside,” with Kanye West. His many acting credits include the films “American Gangster,” “Wanted,” “Date Night” and “Selma,” in which he plays the role of Civil Rights leader James Bevel.
Legend is a nine time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter. His critically acclaimed debut album, “Get Lifted,”scored multiple Grammy Awards in 2006, including Best R&B Album, Best New Artist and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The follow up was the platinum-selling “Once Again,” which garnered a Best Male R&B Performance nod. Legend’s most recent highly acclaimed fourth studio album, “Love in the Future,” scored two Grammy nominations and features his break out hit, “All of Me,” which is his highest selling and charting song to date and also earned a 2015 Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
--------------------
Musical artists Common and John Legend will perform their Oscar®-nominated song “Glory” at the 87th Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.
“Common and John Legend are artists who have always lifted our spirits and made us think,” said Zadan and Meron. “The Oscar stage is that much more profound because of their presence and we welcome them.”
“Glory,” written by John Stephens (a.k.a. John Legend) and Lonnie Lynn (a.k.a. Common) for the film “Selma,” is nominated for Original Song. The four other nominated songs are “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie,” “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights,” “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell...I’ll Be Me” and “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again.”
Common won a Grammy® in 2002 for Best R&B Song for “Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop),” and in 2007 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Southside,” with Kanye West. His many acting credits include the films “American Gangster,” “Wanted,” “Date Night” and “Selma,” in which he plays the role of Civil Rights leader James Bevel.
Legend is a nine time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter. His critically acclaimed debut album, “Get Lifted,”scored multiple Grammy Awards in 2006, including Best R&B Album, Best New Artist and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The follow up was the platinum-selling “Once Again,” which garnered a Best Male R&B Performance nod. Legend’s most recent highly acclaimed fourth studio album, “Love in the Future,” scored two Grammy nominations and features his break out hit, “All of Me,” which is his highest selling and charting song to date and also earned a 2015 Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.
The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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Review: "The Purge: Anarchy" is Equal to its Predecessor
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux
The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong disturbing violence, and for language
DIRECTOR: James DeMonaco
WRITER: James DeMonaco (based on characters created by James DeMonaco)
PRODUCERS: Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, and Sebastien Lemercier
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jacques Jouffret (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Vince Filippone and Todd E. Miller
COMPOSER: Nathan Whitehead
SCI-FI/CRIME/THRILLER
Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Zoe Soul, Justina Machado, John Beasley, Jack Conley, Noel G., Michael K. Williams, Castulo Guerra, Roberta Valderrama, Niko Nicotera, and Edwin Hodge
The Purge: Anarchy is a 2014 science fiction film and crime thriller from writer-director James DeMonaco. The film is a sequel to the 2013 film, The Purge. Set in the near-future, The Purge: Anarchy focuses on a small band of people who are stranded on the night when violent crimes like murder and rape are legal and sanctioned by the American government.
The Purge: Anarchy is set in the United States of America in the year 2023. Unemployment is below one percent. Crime is virtually non-existent, and the number of people living below the poverty line is shrinking all the time. How did this come to pass? The powers-that-be would have people believe that this prosperity is the result of the event called “The Annual Purge,” when practically all criminal activity is legal. Over a 12-hour period, Americans can rob, assault, rape, and murder each other and they will not face legal consequences. This event, started by America’s “New Founding Fathers,” allows Americans to purge or vent negative emotions and repressed/violent urges.
The Purge: Anarchy opens on March 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, just hours before the Purge begins. Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter, Cali (Zoe Soul), prepare for the chaos, as her terminally ill father, Papa Rico (John Beasley), decides to deal with the Purge in a different way. Meanwhile, Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez), a young couple, travel by car, headed for Shane's sister, but they encounter car trouble along the way. Meanwhile, the mysterious Sergeant (Frank Grillo) has his own unique plans for the Purge. Soon, some of these people will find their fates intertwined, as they are left stranded and hunted as they try to find safe harbor.
Like its predecessor, The Purge: Anarchy is one of the most politically astute and socially relevant science fiction films to come around in years. Also like the original, Anarchy is a thriller that makes goose flesh when it isn't causing breaths to catch. The small band that the film follows are not exactly “the fellowship of the Purge,” but writer-director James DeMonaco offers such distinctive personalities. Each character clearly has a goal or motivation that likely veers from the mutual cause of group safety, so someone doing something on his or her own is as much a threat to the group as are the people who are “purging.”
Anarchy is also a little subversive. DeMonaco takes his criticism of the one-percent, the wealthy, and powerful to the next level. In this new film, taking all the money isn't enough. Now, the wealthy and powerful believe the poor owe them their very lives, as if the destitute and homeless exist to be devoured or at least exist to be playthings that the rich can destroy without concern of consequence.
The Purge: Anarchy is a sequel that not only does not disappoint, but it also meets the promise offered by the original film. To the filmmakers, I say, “Let's keeping going!”
8 of 10
A
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong disturbing violence, and for language
DIRECTOR: James DeMonaco
WRITER: James DeMonaco (based on characters created by James DeMonaco)
PRODUCERS: Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, and Sebastien Lemercier
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jacques Jouffret (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Vince Filippone and Todd E. Miller
COMPOSER: Nathan Whitehead
SCI-FI/CRIME/THRILLER
Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Zoe Soul, Justina Machado, John Beasley, Jack Conley, Noel G., Michael K. Williams, Castulo Guerra, Roberta Valderrama, Niko Nicotera, and Edwin Hodge
The Purge: Anarchy is a 2014 science fiction film and crime thriller from writer-director James DeMonaco. The film is a sequel to the 2013 film, The Purge. Set in the near-future, The Purge: Anarchy focuses on a small band of people who are stranded on the night when violent crimes like murder and rape are legal and sanctioned by the American government.
The Purge: Anarchy is set in the United States of America in the year 2023. Unemployment is below one percent. Crime is virtually non-existent, and the number of people living below the poverty line is shrinking all the time. How did this come to pass? The powers-that-be would have people believe that this prosperity is the result of the event called “The Annual Purge,” when practically all criminal activity is legal. Over a 12-hour period, Americans can rob, assault, rape, and murder each other and they will not face legal consequences. This event, started by America’s “New Founding Fathers,” allows Americans to purge or vent negative emotions and repressed/violent urges.
The Purge: Anarchy opens on March 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, just hours before the Purge begins. Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter, Cali (Zoe Soul), prepare for the chaos, as her terminally ill father, Papa Rico (John Beasley), decides to deal with the Purge in a different way. Meanwhile, Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez), a young couple, travel by car, headed for Shane's sister, but they encounter car trouble along the way. Meanwhile, the mysterious Sergeant (Frank Grillo) has his own unique plans for the Purge. Soon, some of these people will find their fates intertwined, as they are left stranded and hunted as they try to find safe harbor.
Like its predecessor, The Purge: Anarchy is one of the most politically astute and socially relevant science fiction films to come around in years. Also like the original, Anarchy is a thriller that makes goose flesh when it isn't causing breaths to catch. The small band that the film follows are not exactly “the fellowship of the Purge,” but writer-director James DeMonaco offers such distinctive personalities. Each character clearly has a goal or motivation that likely veers from the mutual cause of group safety, so someone doing something on his or her own is as much a threat to the group as are the people who are “purging.”
Anarchy is also a little subversive. DeMonaco takes his criticism of the one-percent, the wealthy, and powerful to the next level. In this new film, taking all the money isn't enough. Now, the wealthy and powerful believe the poor owe them their very lives, as if the destitute and homeless exist to be devoured or at least exist to be playthings that the rich can destroy without concern of consequence.
The Purge: Anarchy is a sequel that not only does not disappoint, but it also meets the promise offered by the original film. To the filmmakers, I say, “Let's keeping going!”
8 of 10
A
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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Review: "You're Next" is Shocking and Shockingly Good
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux
You're Next (2011)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity
EDITOR/DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard
WRITERS: Simon Barrett
PRODUCERS: Simon Barrett, Keith Calder, Kim Sherman, and Jessica Wu
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew D. Palermo (D.o.P.)
COMPOSERS: Mads Heldtberg, Jasper Justice Lee, and Kyle McKinnon
HORROR/THRILLER/CRIME
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Sarah Myers, Amy Seimetz, Ti West, Rob Moran, Barbara Crampton, L.C. Holt, Simon Barrett, and Lane Hughes
You're Next is a 2011 crime thriller and horror film from director Adam Wingard. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011, but did not receive a wide theatrical release until 2013. You're Next focuses on a family reunion that comes under assault by a gang of masked intruders that attacks family members until someone starts fighting back.
You're Next takes place in a secluded wooded area that might be located in Missouri. At a large, rustic estate on 5 Edelweiss Drive, Aubrey (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Rob Moran) gather their four children (three sons and a daughter) for a wedding anniversary party. Shy Erin (Sharni Vinson) accompanies her boyfriend, Crispian (AJ Bowen), to the reunion. Also, present are Crispian's brothers, Drake (Joe Swanberg), with his wife, Kelly (Sarah Myers); and Felix (Nicholas Tucci) with his girlfriend, Zee (Wendy Glenn). Also present is Crispian's sister, Aimee (Amy Seimetz), and her boyfriend, Tariq (Ti West).
That evening, everyone gathers around a large table for a meal. During a family argument, mainly caused by Crispian and Drake, one of the guests is shockingly murdered. Soon, the family (whose last name may be “Davison,” although it is not used in the film) is under attack by a unknown number of mysterious killers. As family and friends die or are gravely wounded, we discover that one of the victims has a secret talent for fighting back and for surviving.
You're Next is like an action movie version of the 2008 film, The Strangers, but even better. Cast and crew come together and deliver a fan-freaking-tastic film that looks bigger than its paltry budget of one million dollars. There are thrillers that cost 50 to 100 times more than this “little” film that do not deliver the heart-stopping scares and riveting, hair-trigger drama that You're Next does. I don't like You're Next. I frickin' love You're Next. Encore! Encore!
I won't spoil it, but the actor that plays the character that fights back delivers a star-making performance. Director Adam Wingard impresses with his editing work on this film more than he does with his directing, which is also quite good. Wingard's work here suggests the Coen Bros., with a touch of David Fincher. Some might describe Simon Barrett's screenplay as implausible, but my cynical worldview considers this Hitchcockian fable damn near a documentary.
If you want thrills, chills, and scares, do yourself a favor and see one of the best horror movies of the decade, You're Next.
9 of 10
A+
Friday, January 2, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
You're Next (2011)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity
EDITOR/DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard
WRITERS: Simon Barrett
PRODUCERS: Simon Barrett, Keith Calder, Kim Sherman, and Jessica Wu
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew D. Palermo (D.o.P.)
COMPOSERS: Mads Heldtberg, Jasper Justice Lee, and Kyle McKinnon
HORROR/THRILLER/CRIME
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Sarah Myers, Amy Seimetz, Ti West, Rob Moran, Barbara Crampton, L.C. Holt, Simon Barrett, and Lane Hughes
You're Next is a 2011 crime thriller and horror film from director Adam Wingard. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011, but did not receive a wide theatrical release until 2013. You're Next focuses on a family reunion that comes under assault by a gang of masked intruders that attacks family members until someone starts fighting back.
You're Next takes place in a secluded wooded area that might be located in Missouri. At a large, rustic estate on 5 Edelweiss Drive, Aubrey (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Rob Moran) gather their four children (three sons and a daughter) for a wedding anniversary party. Shy Erin (Sharni Vinson) accompanies her boyfriend, Crispian (AJ Bowen), to the reunion. Also, present are Crispian's brothers, Drake (Joe Swanberg), with his wife, Kelly (Sarah Myers); and Felix (Nicholas Tucci) with his girlfriend, Zee (Wendy Glenn). Also present is Crispian's sister, Aimee (Amy Seimetz), and her boyfriend, Tariq (Ti West).
That evening, everyone gathers around a large table for a meal. During a family argument, mainly caused by Crispian and Drake, one of the guests is shockingly murdered. Soon, the family (whose last name may be “Davison,” although it is not used in the film) is under attack by a unknown number of mysterious killers. As family and friends die or are gravely wounded, we discover that one of the victims has a secret talent for fighting back and for surviving.
You're Next is like an action movie version of the 2008 film, The Strangers, but even better. Cast and crew come together and deliver a fan-freaking-tastic film that looks bigger than its paltry budget of one million dollars. There are thrillers that cost 50 to 100 times more than this “little” film that do not deliver the heart-stopping scares and riveting, hair-trigger drama that You're Next does. I don't like You're Next. I frickin' love You're Next. Encore! Encore!
I won't spoil it, but the actor that plays the character that fights back delivers a star-making performance. Director Adam Wingard impresses with his editing work on this film more than he does with his directing, which is also quite good. Wingard's work here suggests the Coen Bros., with a touch of David Fincher. Some might describe Simon Barrett's screenplay as implausible, but my cynical worldview considers this Hitchcockian fable damn near a documentary.
If you want thrills, chills, and scares, do yourself a favor and see one of the best horror movies of the decade, You're Next.
9 of 10
A+
Friday, January 2, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
----------------------------
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Monday, January 26, 2015
Review: "Batman: Assault on Arkham" One of Best Batman Films
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014) – Video
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
Rated: MPAA – PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language
DIRECTORS: Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding
WRITER: Heath Corson
COMPOSER: Robert J. Kral
EDITOR: Christopher D. Lozinsk
ANIMATION STUDIO: Moi Animation Studios
ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/CRIME
Starring: (voices) Kevin Conroy, Neal McDonough, Hynden Walch, Matthew Gray Gubler, CCH Pounder, Troy Baker, Chris Cox, John DiMaggio, Greg Ellis, Giancarlo Esposito, Jennifer Hale, Christian Lanz, Nolan North, Martin Jarvis, and Andrea Romano
Batman: Assault on Arkham is a 2014 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation. It is the 20th film in Warner's line of DC Universe original animated movies. This film is set in the universe of the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, and occurs after the events depicted in Batman: Arkham Origins (2013).
Batman: Assault on Arkham, of course, features classic DC Comics character, Batman, but here, he is really a supporting character. Assault on Arkham focuses on a new version of the Suicide Squad, in particular, squad members, Deadshot and Harley Quinn, who are Batman villains. In Batman: Assault on Arkham the film, a team of six villains breaks into an infamous prison to recover vital information, but find the mission complicated by the inmates and Batman.
As Batman: Assault on Arkham opens, shadowy U.S. government operative, Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder), sends a black ops team to kill Batman villain, The Riddler ( Matthew Gray Gubler). Batman (Kevin Conroy) rescues his old adversary and returns him to Arkham Asylum. Determined to kill The Riddler and to recover the dangerous information he stole, Waller reforms “Task Force X” (also known as the Suicide Squad).
She kidnaps the super-criminals: Deadshot (Neal McDonough), Harley Quinn (Hynden Walch), Black Spider (Giancarlo Esposito), Captain Boomerang (Greg Ellis), Killer Frost (Jennifer Hale), King Shark (John DiMaggio), and KGBeast (Nolan North). Waller presses them into her service, even having bombs surgically implanted into their necks to force them to serve her in Suicide Squad. The survivors of Waller's training sneak into Gotham City, where they will infiltrate Arkham Asylum. Meanwhile, Batman races across Gotham to find a dirty bomb planted by The Joker (Troy Baker), who is currently imprisoned at Arkham, which will soon be the sight of a lot of action.
I think that if the team of directors Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding and also writer Heath Corson had been the brain trust behind some of the Batman live-action movies, those movies would have been much better than they were, that includes Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Batman: Assault on Arkham is one of the best original DC Comics animated movies to date and one of the best Batman media adaptations to date.
It is not a bad thing that the Suicide Squad are the stars of this movie, because the team is presented in a way that makes them perfectly capable of carrying a good movie. It's starts with the writing. Heath Corson's script summons forth a group of engaging characters that are every bit as interesting as Batman, and Corson imagines a scenario that allows each character to show his or her colorful side, both in words and in deeds.
Directors Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding build tension through the Arkham mission, forcing the characters to reveal much of themselves to the audience, as they try to survive and win. The big action and fight scenes build naturally; they don't seem like bunches of conflict badly sewn together to evoke de facto titillation in the audience. Of course, as a work of fiction, this is contrived. However, there is a sequence that begins on a helicopter and moves from Arkham to Gotham, and includes the “Batplane.” This sequence seems like a logical extension of the drama and does not come across as something forced for the sake of creating a big chase scene.
The voice acting is truly good; these are fine performances. Kevin Conroy, the classic Batman voice actor since “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992), reminds us why it is a special occasion to hear him as the Dark Knight and why many fans always want him to be Batman's voice. However, in this film, Neal McDonough is the standout as Deadshot, and with a powerful deliver, full of character colors, he is the actual lead in this movie.
Hynden Walch is slinky goodness as Harley Quinn, and Troy Baker is pitch-perfect as the Joker. CCH Pounder is a noted character actor and supporting actress, and she has also done some fine voice-over acting, which shows in her delicious and thugged-out turn as Amanda Waller.
Wow! Can a brother get a sequel – from the same team? If not, at least, we have Batman: Assault on Arkham. It is an assault on any mediocre Batman media.
9 of 10
A+
Monday, January 26, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014) – Video
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
Rated: MPAA – PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language
DIRECTORS: Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding
WRITER: Heath Corson
COMPOSER: Robert J. Kral
EDITOR: Christopher D. Lozinsk
ANIMATION STUDIO: Moi Animation Studios
ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/CRIME
Starring: (voices) Kevin Conroy, Neal McDonough, Hynden Walch, Matthew Gray Gubler, CCH Pounder, Troy Baker, Chris Cox, John DiMaggio, Greg Ellis, Giancarlo Esposito, Jennifer Hale, Christian Lanz, Nolan North, Martin Jarvis, and Andrea Romano
Batman: Assault on Arkham is a 2014 straight-to-video animated superhero film from Warner Bros. Animation. It is the 20th film in Warner's line of DC Universe original animated movies. This film is set in the universe of the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, and occurs after the events depicted in Batman: Arkham Origins (2013).
Batman: Assault on Arkham, of course, features classic DC Comics character, Batman, but here, he is really a supporting character. Assault on Arkham focuses on a new version of the Suicide Squad, in particular, squad members, Deadshot and Harley Quinn, who are Batman villains. In Batman: Assault on Arkham the film, a team of six villains breaks into an infamous prison to recover vital information, but find the mission complicated by the inmates and Batman.
As Batman: Assault on Arkham opens, shadowy U.S. government operative, Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder), sends a black ops team to kill Batman villain, The Riddler ( Matthew Gray Gubler). Batman (Kevin Conroy) rescues his old adversary and returns him to Arkham Asylum. Determined to kill The Riddler and to recover the dangerous information he stole, Waller reforms “Task Force X” (also known as the Suicide Squad).
She kidnaps the super-criminals: Deadshot (Neal McDonough), Harley Quinn (Hynden Walch), Black Spider (Giancarlo Esposito), Captain Boomerang (Greg Ellis), Killer Frost (Jennifer Hale), King Shark (John DiMaggio), and KGBeast (Nolan North). Waller presses them into her service, even having bombs surgically implanted into their necks to force them to serve her in Suicide Squad. The survivors of Waller's training sneak into Gotham City, where they will infiltrate Arkham Asylum. Meanwhile, Batman races across Gotham to find a dirty bomb planted by The Joker (Troy Baker), who is currently imprisoned at Arkham, which will soon be the sight of a lot of action.
I think that if the team of directors Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding and also writer Heath Corson had been the brain trust behind some of the Batman live-action movies, those movies would have been much better than they were, that includes Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Batman: Assault on Arkham is one of the best original DC Comics animated movies to date and one of the best Batman media adaptations to date.
It is not a bad thing that the Suicide Squad are the stars of this movie, because the team is presented in a way that makes them perfectly capable of carrying a good movie. It's starts with the writing. Heath Corson's script summons forth a group of engaging characters that are every bit as interesting as Batman, and Corson imagines a scenario that allows each character to show his or her colorful side, both in words and in deeds.
Directors Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding build tension through the Arkham mission, forcing the characters to reveal much of themselves to the audience, as they try to survive and win. The big action and fight scenes build naturally; they don't seem like bunches of conflict badly sewn together to evoke de facto titillation in the audience. Of course, as a work of fiction, this is contrived. However, there is a sequence that begins on a helicopter and moves from Arkham to Gotham, and includes the “Batplane.” This sequence seems like a logical extension of the drama and does not come across as something forced for the sake of creating a big chase scene.
The voice acting is truly good; these are fine performances. Kevin Conroy, the classic Batman voice actor since “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992), reminds us why it is a special occasion to hear him as the Dark Knight and why many fans always want him to be Batman's voice. However, in this film, Neal McDonough is the standout as Deadshot, and with a powerful deliver, full of character colors, he is the actual lead in this movie.
Hynden Walch is slinky goodness as Harley Quinn, and Troy Baker is pitch-perfect as the Joker. CCH Pounder is a noted character actor and supporting actress, and she has also done some fine voice-over acting, which shows in her delicious and thugged-out turn as Amanda Waller.
Wow! Can a brother get a sequel – from the same team? If not, at least, we have Batman: Assault on Arkham. It is an assault on any mediocre Batman media.
9 of 10
A+
Monday, January 26, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Labels:
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videogame adaptation,
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